ATLANTA – Exelerate ZTF, a new cleaning program to help meat and poultry processors address the growing challenge of cleaning zero trans fat oil residue from processing equipment and environments, has been launched by Ecolab Inc., which made the announcement at Poultry Expo. The patent-pending program cuts the cleaning time in half and is the first product of its kind to address the issue of cleaning zero trans fat oil soils, the company said.

"Zero trans fats hold many health benefits but can be a challenge for food manufacturers as product is cooked,” said Timothy Mulhere, Ecolab's senior vice president and general manager, Food & Beverage North America. “Exelerate ZTF eliminates the hard-to-remove residue from equipment surfaces in protein applications particularly chicken nuggets, patties and other prepared products."


Processing food with zero trans fat oils has the unexpected consequence of coating processing equipment and environmental surfaces with a stubborn residue as the oil mists during the cooking process. Meat and poultry processors are discovering that equipment and surfaces which come into contact with the zero trans fat oils become covered with a hard, sticky coating. These soils are difficult to clean using traditional methods and can pose both food safety and worker safety issues due to slippery, sticky surfaces and their potential as a fire hazard.

Exelerate ZTF dissolves polymerized oil soils on fryers, ovens and other plant surfaces, such as fryer hood vents, walls, ceilings and plant catwalks, enabling them to be cleaned more easily and thoroughly. The gelled product application clings to equipment making it easier to clean hard-to-reach areas.